The First Time
by Ruairi J.L
Summary: Rather than give him the World Seed after defeating Sugō, Akihiko Kayaba chooses to send Kirito-kun back in time, so that they might continue their game of cat and mouse. Now, at the beginning of SAO with his stats reset, Kirito finds himself trapped in a younger body with every memory of the game intact. Can he get it right this time? Can he save all those who were lost before?
1. Chapter 1

_"Aincrad, SAO, is the dominion of Kayaba Akihiko. It is full of wonder and dread, death and pain. But at least there's no blood. Its rivers still run clean. The beauty remains. That's something to be grateful for, I guess." - Kirito_

_**One – End to Start**_

It has oft been said that put a man at the brink of an abyss, and, on the unlikely occasion he doesn't fall in, he will be driven mad from the experience. It is also known that want of power is the trait of countless villains, with many prepared to perform unspeakable acts to obtain that power. Some desire dominion over others. Some yearn for gold and riches. Others, the most dangerous of all, wish to preside themselves above all humanity, establish themselves as Gods, and rule until the end of time.

Sword Art Online was created as a 'virtual reality massively multiplayer role playing game' using state-of-the-art Nerve Gear, which was known to many as the precipice of modern gaming. The user mentally takes control of their own avatar, usually being able to establish name and appearance, and dives into the mythical world that awaits.

SAO, however, had a more sinister component. Its creator, Akihiko Kayaba, chose to withdraw the 'log out' option, which forced players to reside in-game on an indefinite basis. That coupled with the mental realism of the Nerve Gear led to one, stark, conclusion: enslavement within the user's very own mind. Over time, however, many viewed it as an opportunity, a period in which they could enjoy a life with rules or boundaries, without adult supervision (in many cases) and stern governance.

For some, it was hell. For others, paradise.

Yet, it was universal chaos.

Close to four thousand people lost their lives in a period of twenty three months, a shocking statistic for all concerned. The slaughter ended only when 'Kirito', hero of the game, freed the populace by defeating its architect in single combat. Kirito was spurred by rage, rage granted through the death of his beloved, Asuna. He himself died during the battle, but was ultimately victorious.

His sacrifice... would never be forgotten.

"And yet, here we are," Kayaba said. He certainly did not seem to be dead, and nor did Kirito himself, who had only just saved Asuna, also alive, from a sadistic megalomaniac. This was not SAO, but a similar game in ALfheim Online.

"Your words are very pretty," Kazuto scorned. "But I do owe you my life. And Asuna's. I thank you for that, at least."

"Kirito-kun... do you know how you survived?" Kayaba asked rather suddenly, ignoring his gratitude.

Kazuto thought for a moment, truly unsure of the answer. He had never given it much heed, but had always been grateful. He loved living, for what that was worth. Then again, so did many who had died. And those lives had been ended by the man before him; indirectly, perhaps, but it made no difference, not if you had survived the Death Game.

"I don't," Kazuto said, shaking his head. "Perhaps you should enlighten me. I was led to believe all those who died in-game were really killed."

"They did," Kayaba said, showing no emotion. "All of them... except for you, Asuna... and myself. I killed you with my own hand, Kirito-kun, yet here we stand. I watched Asuna-kun die before killing you immediately afterwards. So, was my blade cursed that day, or was another force at work, perhaps?"

"I asked you to enlighten me. I have no answer to either of those questions," Kazuto said, feeling annoyed.

"I didn't think so. Perhaps no one does," Kayaba said. Then he smiled. It was not a pleasant smile, but a malicious leer, full of evil intent and negative thought. Full of malcontent. "I feel like there is one possible explanation, Kirito-kun."

"What is it?" Kazuto asked with hesitation. He disliked that smile more than almost anything.

"I was the God of that world... its creator. Its architect. And I want our little game to continue. You still have twenty five floors to clear, each growing exponentially more difficult than its predecessor. They are still there... yearning to be cleared."

Kazuto froze. "What are you saying?" he demanded.

"Oh, who knows? Perhaps on a mental level I never wanted you to die. You were always my most worthy opponent, the one I was supposed to face at the end of the 100th floor. With Asuna-kun at your side, of course," he quickly added with idle mockery.

That statement drew a glare from Kazuto. "SAO was destroyed, Kayaba. Even if we did want to go back, it would be impossible."

"Funny, that," Kazuto said lowly, staring at the palm of his hand. "'Impossible'. An interesting word. Only three years ago it was deemed _impossible_ to be trapped inside a video game, and look how that turned out. Inside the human mind the absurd becomes _very_ possible indeed, Kirito-kun. And we are technically inside our own minds here, which means the creator has full dominion over what might occur. Correct?"

"You're not making any sense," Kazuto said, shaking his head. "Can I go now? I've beaten both of these games, and want to spend time with my girlfriend in the real world."

Kayaba smirked down at him. "Sorry, Kirito-kun, but I can't allow that. For I'm in control here. You haven't 'beaten' Sword Art Online yet, and until you do, you won't be going anywhere. See you on the other side."

"Wait!" Kazuto shouted.

But it was too late. The darkness around him began to compress, until it felt like a steamroller was attempting to crush him with its bulk alone. A suffocating cloud enveloped Kazuto, masking his senses and prying at his mind with relentless ease. He choked and spluttered in unison, until the oxygen returned to his lungs. And then he began to scream in pain, whilst roaring with fury.

Quite suddenly, the sensation stopped.

Kazuto lay on what felt like hard earth, curled in the foetal position, with his eyes shut. After a few moments, the pain subsided.

"Kirito!"

His eyes shot open, and he gasped as he saw Asuna gazing down at him, worry etched on her face in contrivance with anger and pain. He also saw that she had returned to her SAO avatar, and a quick inspection of his ears revealed much the same in his own case. That meant...

_No way. Time travel is impossible... _

But, that word.

"Asuna!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Kazuto embraced her, holding her tight. He buried his head on her shoulder, and felt the pain leave entirely as she overruled it with comfort. This was what he had yearned for, all the time they had been apart, courtesy of that bastard Sugō. Kazuto had fought through hordes of deadly enemies to free the one he loved, and had been prepared to give his life for her freedom.

"Where are we?" Asuna asked. "It looks like SAO, but..."

Kazuto slowly opened his eyes, little more than a crack. When he saw the wild boar nearby, and Klein standing a few metres away, looking embarrassed, he gasped. This was the first floor, close to the Town of Beginnings. That meant Kayaba had done _something. _

"Time travel..." Kazuto whispered. "But in our heads, or is it real?"

Asuna's eyes widened. "What?" she whispered. "Kayaba did this, didn't he?"

Kazuto nodded. "I thought he was joking. I should have known better. Kayaba said he wanted 'to continue our little game', so this must be what he meant. We're back, Asuna. Back at the very beginning. Only... we look like ourselves. Our real selves, I mean."

"Klein looks different," Asuna noted, and Kazuto could see that she was right. He still had his in-game avatar, the artificial one that disappeared after the first few hours.

"Oi, Kirito! Are you alright?" Klein asked, walking over. He stretched out a hand, and only then did Kazuto realise he had been kneeling on the grass. He accepted it gratefully, and Klein pulled both of them to their feet, grinning. "Sorry. I thought you were poisoned by that boar or something. You fell down and started convulsing, but then she came out of nowhere," he said, nodding towards Asuna. "The two of you know each other, am I right?"

"Klein," Kazuto said, ignoring his question, "what can you remember?"

"Oh?" Klein exclaimed, his grin fading away. "We've been hunting for over three hours, Kirito-san. This is my first time here, if you remember that. I was about to log out and eat the pizza I ordered. Did it hit you with an amnesiac?"

Kazuto checked the game clock, finding that it was twenty minutes past five in the afternoon. He couldn't remember exactly when everything had happened the first time, as it _had_ been over three years ago by this point. Would that damage his mind? He was trapped in a younger body, aware of all that had happened already, as was Asuna. This could be dangerous, especially if his mental state was already weak after going through one period of real-life malnourishment. Deterioration could lead to instability, with potential side-effects being stress, among others.

"Klein, can you log out?" Kazuto asked carefully. He couldn't tell anyone what had happened, or they would all think he was nuts. No one would believe their story. He would have to play this game as if from the beginning again, except when he was with Asuna, of course.

"Hmm, do you want rid of me that badly?" Klein asked, grinning. "I can give the two of you some privacy, if you want."

Asuna blushed. She was being rather quiet, trying to absorb all that had happened. Kazuto, who had already undergone some remarkable occurrences in recent months, was less surprised by the situation. It still required a lot of thought to process, and he was sure Kayaba would give him the necessary time with glee. He scoffed at that. Would every reaction have a counter-action, or would things play out in a similar fashion to before? Surely Kayaba wouldn't attempt to become Heathcliff again, not when Kazuto knew it was his alias. He would either create a new character entirely, or perhaps sit on the sidelines and force him to reach the hundredth floor this time around.

In either case, that was a problem. Each floor was exponentially more difficult than its predecessor, and only seventy five had been cleared in just less than two years Before. Without Heathcliff, things could really go to hell, and that two years could extend to several more. If they ever reached the three-quarter mark, no one had any idea what to prepare for. Doing the depressing math, Kazuto quickly found that it could take a decade or more to clear this entire game safely.

Or more. No, Kayaba would try to drag this out as long as possible. He loved the thrill of the game, the constant adrenaline rush derived from control and manipulation. He would never give up that power, not unless the game was cleared. And even then...

"Huh, there's no log out button," Klein said, frowning. He scrolled through the visual interface a second time, but came up short again. "Is this some type of bug?"

"Something like that," Asuna said with bitterness. Kazuto hadn't even realised what he was doing until Asuna spoke. Klein didn't hear her.

"I'm trying to contact a GM, but it's not working," Klein said, showing them the 'dialling' option.

Kazuto was unimpressed. This was happening in a near-identical manner to the first time, only now he was annoyed, not confused. He swore to himself that Kayaba Akihiko would pay for this, with his life if it was required.

Then he froze.

"Sugō," he whispered. He was still alive, with all of his power intact. That meant he would be coming after Asuna again, even if it did take him another two years to plan his course of action.

Asuna, who heard, looked round at him with wide eyes. She was clearly scared, and with good reason. Her ordeal had been horrifying for any person to endure, even for someone as strong as she was. Kazuto hugged her then, trying to comfort her.

"I'll figure something out," he whispered into her ear. "I promise."

"No," Asuna said, shaking her head. _"We_ will."

Kazuto allowed the ghost of a smile to tug at his lips.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Klein said, sounding completely un-sorry, "but what's going on? I'm going to miss my pizza and ginger ale delivery at this rate!"

Kazuto rolled his eyes. "Can't you be serious for five minutes, Klein?" he asked, before scolding himself. He didn't know Klein well enough in this instance to make a joke like that.

"Huh?" Klein asked, screwing his face up.

"Nothing, I was kidding," Kazuto said.

Before Klein could respond, the ill-fated bell nearby began to ring, sending a shiver up Kazuto's spine. He knew what it meant. Just before anyone could speak, he found himself enclosed by an aura of blue light, and his surroundings melted away. Quite suddenly, he reappeared in the centre of ToB, Klein at one side and Asuna at the other. Things seemed to speed-by after that. The red warning message for a system announcement began to flash once more, before moulding and forming into the Game Master, Kayaba Akihiko, hooded and cloaked. He spoke at length, imposing himself over all in sight with his great size, explaining the rules of the game as Before.

Last time, Kazuto had been too embroiled in his own shock to truly uncover the reactions of other players, but now he paid close attention to anyone within eyeshot. Several of the younger gamers began to cry when the real-life deaths were announced, and many were struck dumb by the knowledge that all one hundred floors had to be cleared for escape to be possible. The most experienced gamers knew that MMORPGs were notoriously difficult to clear entirely, and one in which you couldn't lose a single life would be damn-near impossible. Trial and error was not only common in any role-playing game, but a necessity! It was how one grew into the game, learned to adapt and strengthened their resolve. To have that feature removed... unthinkable.

_Almost as unthinkable as being trapped in the blasted thing. _

The sequence with the mirrors happened again, only this time Kazuto and Asuna didn't bother using the item themselves. Their avatars already matched real-world appearances, so there was literally no point. However, the most curious thing happened then. During the general chaos and shock of close to ten thousand avatars morphing before their eyes, the pair each received a near identical message.

With a mutual look of confusion, both began to read.

"_It is done. Sugō is dead. Consider this my first and only gift to the both of you. I don't want you distracted. Kirito-kun, Asuna-kun... good luck to you both. I'll be waiting in the Ruby Palace. Kayaba."_

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but good riddance," Asuna said, her words perfectly clear to Kazuto, even among the generalised outcry sweeping them like a torrent of raging typhoons.

Kazuto didn't give his opinion, but he was secretly glad. "At least it gives us a helping hand. We don't have to worry about anything in the real world now... well, except for our bodies growing systematically weaker overtime."

"Comatose patients can be kept alive for years," Asuna reminded him, grabbing his hand. "There's no reason we have to die."

Kazuto stared at her hand for a moment, enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin. He really did love her. He flashed her a quick smile, which she returned. The mood was cut short, however, by the continued speech of Kayaba Akihiko, who explained his reasoning for interference. Kazuto wondered if the police had ever found his body, unless he too had awoken, none the worse for wear. Even so, how did he remain hidden from the general public? Surely they had ways to track down the server right to its source, not that it would make a difference. External shut-down was not an option, even if it was possible. They would be killing close to ten thousand people at once, even if by accident.

"Kirito-kun... we should talk," Asuna said. "How do we achieve our goals this time? We know what's expected of us, but if Heathcliff isn't here the Knights of the Blood will never be created. And what about Yui-chan?"

Kazuto blinked. In his shock he had forgotten their daughter momentarily. She was right at the back of his mind, and he would have remembered after a few more minutes, for sure, but still... there it was. He felt ashamed.

"We can build our own clan," he said, having to raise his voice as Kayaba vanished, leading to cries of outrage all around. "And we can't do anything for Yui just yet. She has to find us, and then we can keep her safe from the primary server. I won't let them take her again."

Asuna nodded. "You're right. I hope we see her soon... and I agree about the party. It'll be different this time. We should invite Klein, Agil and-"

Kazuto – no, Kirito – held up a hand and smiled. He had to accept that much, at least. He was Kirito once more, and that might never change. He was a Beater, but this time, he would protect at least those who were close to his heart.

"We will. I promise. But, Asuna... we still have to go. Like Before, this town will have its quests used up in no time at all. We can't develop enough around here. We need to leave if we want to grow strong enough to survive."

Asuna made to speak, but she was almost shoved to one side by a massive player, probably a brute formerly of The Army. He growled at everyone in sight.

"All of you stay out of my way!" he shouted. "If we can die in here, it's kill or be killed! And you'd better be damned sure whose life is more important to me!"

"Oi! Don't be so selfish!" Kirito said, glaring. "These people are all afraid, and you're only making it worse!"

"Oh, and what's it to you, little man?" the player replied with menace. "You think you can stop me?"

Kirito scoffed. "I think I have too much decency to bother trying," he said with deadpan, taking Asuna's hand. It was much for the oaf's protection, as she appeared ready to deck him for pushing her. Together, they turned and stalked off, followed by Klein.

"Kirito! I spoke with my friends back there. We're gonna party up and help each other. Are you game? And of course, I wouldn't say no to a lovely lady like yourself," he said to Asuna, displaying his trademark grin.

As always, Kirito was amazed at how little seemed to affect Klein, although he knew much of that was deceptive. His friend simply chose not to show it on the surface, but deep down he was surely hurting... not to mention afraid. Heck, even Kirito himself was afraid, and he had done this once before! Maybe that made it worse.

"Of course," Kirito said this time, nodding. "Grab your friends and bring them here. We know a few others we want to bring along too, so give us some time, then we can leave."

"Leave?" Klein asked, confused.

Kirito explained the situation. "I betaed this game. I can lead us all safely to the next village. We need the time and space to grow."

"Kirito, you'd really leave everyone behind?" Klein asked, his voice dropped low. "All these people..."

"Klein, you saw that jerk back there," Kirito said with equal quietness. "More are going to be pressing their advantage home, and asserting dominance based on brute strength. Over half of these people will distrust us, and the other half has no reason to accept us. I can't speak for ten thousand people, but maybe ten. And since one in ten players is a beta themselves, that means I'm doing my fair share. Remember that," he said, not unkindly.

Klein thought for a moment, before nodding. "Fair enough. I already owe you a lot, so I have no reason to complain. How long do you need?"

"I think... an hour might do the trick," Asuna said after some deliberation. "In any case, we can't wait for longer, and that's pushing it."

"Okay, give us an hour," Kirito said, nodding in agreement. "Meet us on the eastern edge of town. It's about a half mile in that direction." He stuck his thumb over his shoulder. "Don't be late."

"I could say the same to you," his friend said, chuckling. He left.

Kirito palmed his oldest sword with a mixture of exultation and dread. He was afraid of losing everyone again, but at least he had Asuna at his side from the off now. And the thought of actually clearing Aincrad was enticing, he had to admit. One thing was for sure, if his ideas about the clan and predictions for the second game as a whole were to come true...

It was going to be a hell of a ride.

* * *

:Author's Notes:

And here I go again, with another sword-fest of a story. I really have a love for anything that even remotely resembles fantasy, and SAO certainly does at that. As with all my stories, I'll end this first chapter with a warning. My updates may be slow on occasion. I am, both sadly and happily together, a busy man. Please don't hate me if updating takes a while. Once per month will be my mandate when I restart university in September, but for now... I'll be brave and say three chapters a month. _Maybe_ more if my muse wants to cooperate.

Grr... cooperate, damn you!

(It's struggling, but I think I can wear it down. Wish me luck!)


	2. Chapter 2

_"Lovely. I quite fancied the idea of a routine slaughter this morning." - Klein_

_**Two – The Makings of a Team**_

Several hours after deciding to form a party from the off, Kirito found himself in the nearest fishing village to the Town of Beginnings, with several others in tow. Unfortunately, it had proved nearly impossible to locate a select group of people in a crowd of ten thousand, which meant that players they would have liked to join the guild were still out there, on their own. Thankfully, either he or Asuna knew where to find them in the coming months, so that would have to do. Besides, recruitment was likely to be an ongoing process as it was.

They couldn't form a proper guild, of course. Not until the required quest on the third floor was completed. But for now, partying up and sticking together would work just as well, and Kirito had a plan to utilise each member's individual talents. For the moment, they all sat at the town's rather small inn, grabbing a little something to eat and drink, while Asuna chose to mentally write the names of all would-be guild members they hadn't managed to find.

_Agil, Lisbeth, Thinker, every member of the Moonlit Black Cats... _it continued for some time.

_At the very least, we know they can survive alone for at least half a year, _she thought, sighing in resignation. Neither of them wanted to leave anybody behind, but that seemed necessary at the moment. Every single one of them was likely busy with fighting to earn quest points and level up in ToB currently. No other player had made it through the path to the next village just yet.

"Alright, listen up," Kirito said, calling for attention as Klein's friends bustled about. Hmm... he really needed to memorise their names. Issin was the rather thin one with a pinched face and maroon hair. Harry One never removed his helm, due to fear of suddenly being attacked, even if the area happened to be a safe zone.

"_I need to protect my head," _he said stubbornly. _"You can grow back limbs in this place, but you only have one life where your noggin is concerned. Well, I won't lose mine, I can tell ya." _

Dale was the rather plump member with curly locks of black hair, not that Kirito would ever call him 'plump' to his face. He was notoriously sensitive about his weight. Dynamm wore a bandana rather like Klein's, and sported the most ridiculous three-pointed goatee Kirito had ever seen. His name might be a handful, but his facial appearance would be distinctive enough to remember couldn't remember the final member's name, but wouldn't forget as soon as it was mentioned. Blue hair tended to be something of a noticeable feature in-game, especially if it was his real hair colour.

"Kunimittz," Klein said, to get his attention. His friend had been staring moodily at a glass of in-game ale for the past five minutes.

Kirito repeated the name several times in his head, mentally associating the face to go with it. Confident he had it remembered, he looked up to find the others sitting at attention. Klein seemed willing to follow his lead, probably because he knew the best ways to level up and had helped him. It may have been like this Before, had Kirito decided to stick with the group after Kayaba's fated announcement. He couldn't be sure, but that hardly mattered now.

"We need to complete a floor three quest to form a guild, so for now we can just call this a regular party," Kirito said. "I'm sure all of you have particular skills you enjoy in any RPG, so we'll try to put those to good effect."

He swallowed and shared a look with Asuna, who nodded. This would be the tricky part. He couldn't give away too much about what they already knew.

"We... already have a smith in mind," Kirito said, "one of Asuna's friends, who we couldn't find, unfortunately. We will soon enough. For now we can buy lesser weapons from NPCs when needed, although all of our starting weapons should be effective enough to survive at least ten floors as it is."

Issin raised a hand without looking up. "Why do we need to break up according to skills? Shouldn't we all be working to clear the game out front?"

Kirito rubbed his brow. He wanted to be firm, but not rude.

"I betaed this game," he began. "It's _not_ easy. If we want to survive we have to act accordingly, and that means keeping a regular supply line open across the board. Inefficiency is going to be what kills most of the people in this game, probably almost as much as enemies themselves. Now, I'm not going to force anyone to act against their own will. We're all friends here, right?"

They nodded, deathly silent at his warning. He took note of their determined glances, realising they would probably be looking to him for leadership. As someone who had soloed the front lines for such a long period of time, he wasn't sure how to feel about that. Surprised, maybe. Apprehensive? Certainly.

"Good. That means we can work together. We _have _to cooperate, or we won't last a month. It's simple, really. I know Asuna is an excellent cook, but she's also an amazing fighter. The best I've ever seen," he added, smiling at her. She returned the gesture. "That means her specialist skill can be preparing food, _if_ she wants that position."

"I do, but we can rotate overtime," Asuna said, nodding. "We're both beta testers, so we'll do our best to help you whenever possible. In fact, you're all in luck. The two of us are probably more knowledgeable than any other player alive."

Kirito raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was happy that Asuna was choosing to share his burden, but he hadn't expected her to call herself a beta player. Technically, he supposed she was. She grinned at him, knowing what he was thinking. Despite himself, he blushed.

"How far did the two of you get?" Klein asked with interest. That one didn't seem to stop bouncing around in his chair, even after forgetting about his damned pizza.

Kirito shifted uncomfortably, but Asuna came to his rescue.

"The game was betaed for about a month," she informed him, thinking of a way to avoid answering directly. "In that time a player can reach around floor ten, but that was without... well, really worrying about your life. We're going to have to train hard, and stick together. We both died playing the game Before," she said, not that they understood the significance of the word 'Before'.

"So we need to take care," Klein said, nodding. Suddenly, he started shouting in good nature: "you hear that, lads?! These two are going to save your worthless lives, so you'd better pay attention when they tell you what to do!"

Kirito laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head with his face scrunched up. "Really, Klein, that isn't necessary. This is a team, not a dictatorship. Everybody here has an important role to play, and we don't want anyone to die."

"But people _will_ die," Kunimittz said rather suddenly. The mood seemed to melt away, replaced by an ill feeling of foreboding nervousness. "I guarantee no more than half of these players will be alive by the time the game is cleared, if it ever is. Each floor is harder than the one before, so if it takes us several months to reach the tenth... how long will it be before we reach the hundredth? Decades, if what I'm thinking is correct."

"Ah, you depressing git," Klein grumbled. "I forgot to tell you two he's always like that."

Kirito waved his apology away. "Don't worry about it. He's right. That's something we all need to come to terms with. The chances are we'll be in here for a very long time, with our real-world bodies barely being kept alive by IV drips and the NerveGear hooked up to a renewable power source. We need to accept that as soon as possible, and then put it to one side."

"Ehh, what about me?" Klein asked, suddenly nervous. "I live alone, remember."

"No problem," Kirito said with a small smile. "They'll have tracked down the buyers through electronic sales receipts. I'm sure paramedics will be transporting a lot of players to hospital tonight, even if they do happen to live by themselves."

Harry One tapped his helm. "You're a smart man, Kirito-kun. I'm glad to have you at my side."

Kirito couldn't help blushing again. After that, the mood lightened somewhat. He and Asuna sat side-by-side near their new party, eating their fill and exchanging a kiss or three. To their vast relief, no one decided to joke around about their relationship. It would have helped ease some more tensions, but at least the former Fuurinkazan were mature adults, for the most part.

Asuna couldn't help but cringe at the rather bawdy joke Klein was telling, but she laughed at the punch-line all the same. For the sake of his dignity, Kirito wouldn't repeat the joke in any other company. But it was good that Klein was helping everyone to relax, and he couldn't help but wonder if things had been this easy for Fuurinkazan Before; probably not, considering they had been on their own then, struggling to uncover the finer aspects of surviving SAO.

Once more, Kirito felt a pang of regret at leaving his friend behind the last time, but he pushed it away with relative ease now. It was in the past – if that made sense – and wasn't worth thinking about any longer. Now, all that mattered was the present, and the future they would aspire to achieve together, as a unit, a group of close friends. And their numbers would swell with time. He vowed to himself that the Moonlit Black Cats would be among the first to enlist, if they wanted the opportunity. He wouldn't leave them to die.

_I wonder if Argo could help me find the others_, he thought. Of course, finding her in the first place would be an issue. The information broker was notoriously difficult to track down, and tended to find clients before they found her. That was how she did business. Maybe-

"You're thinking too much," Asuna said, drawing him from his present state of mind.

Kirito blinked, brought back to the 'real' world. "Huh?" he asked, confused.

Asuna grinned. "Exactly. You need to take a break. We've done enough for one day. Things are only going to get tougher, so you shouldn't worry so much."

"They'll get easier," Kirito said, "if we let them. If we struggle like... _Before... _they'll be just as difficult. More so, since Heathcliff isn't around to lead. In fact, I think we should forget about trying to recruit Thinker. He did a good job with the ALF last time, and without Heathcliff in the way he'll rise to the top of the frontline guilds. He'd be a good ally."

Asuna thought for a moment. She knew he was right, but was loathe to let one of their friends go so easily. Then again, Thinker had survived the first time, but not without help from the two of them and Yui. Maybe that was holding her back. She wanted to see her daughter, and didn't want Thinker to be in that situation again. Last time, it had caused the administrative software to delete Yui from the game, and Kirito had barely managed to rescue her heart.

_No,_ she thought stubbornly. _This time, we'll be stronger. I won't lose Yui again. We can warn Thinker to be careful, and make sure he doesn't fall into that trap, or any others._

"Okay, I agree," she finally said. Kirito had been watching her, gauging her reaction and wondering if she had formed a similar puzzle to his own. At least they'd both made the pieces fit in the right order. Yui would find them, possibly even sooner, since they already loved one another.

"Asuna... I'm really glad you're here," Kirito admitted. "I..." he looked around, finding Klein and the others engaged in a loud retelling of real-life stories. He still dropped his voice to a whisper, just in case. "I used to solo more than anything, but you have a lot of experience with guilds. You know how to lead, and I don't."

Asuna scoffed. "Hardly. I didn't even realise _who_ was leading that guild until the end."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Kirito said, frowning. "He fooled everyone, until I noticed something was wrong. I was lucky, and nothing else. You were _un_lucky. That's all there is to it."

His in-game wife shrugged at that, and chose not to press the issue, but gave the smallest signs of a smile anyway. With a jolt, Kirito remembered something.

"Asuna, would you... would you marry me?" he asked, rather loudly. After realising just how loud it was, he had to physically bite his tongue to prevent the word 'again' from slipping out.

Klein hushed up then, watching with wide eyes and a grin. "Oi, Kirito! That's no romantic way to propose to a girl! It's like this, watch!" And so, he got down on one knee to general laughter, took Asuna's hand in his own and loudly proclaimed: "Oh, sweet maiden of SAO, I would be honoured-"

Asuna interrupted him with a playful punch, which sent him reeling. "Not interested."

"Ow!"

Kirito couldn't help it, he laughed. He realised immediately after that it was his first real laugh since coming back, and it felt great to let off some steam. He felt properly happy for the first time in a long time, and that doubled in scope when Asuna murmured a "yes" in his ear, and kissed him on the cheek. The table burst into exaggerated applause, which drew some bizarre looks from the NPCs nearby, who hadn't spoken to the group all evening.

A little while later, when Kirito fell asleep in her arms, with his wide smile illuminating their decision, he felt truly happy again and held genuine hope for the future. So long as they were together, he could overcome anything.

* * *

Nearby, the Town of Beginnings burned.

This had happened before, but Kirito had not been there to see it happen, and nor had Asuna. But it's inevitable that when you take ten thousand people, many children, and force them together to fight for their very lives, hell is going to be unleashed. And it wouldn't be like slowly unscrewing the lid of a bottle, either. No, it was a tidal wave; a vast, whooshing current of inexorable death and pain that swamped all before it, swathing and twisting with the streets of ToB and setting all alight. Yes, the wave itself was setting things alight, for no one knew what to make of such petty crime and infighting – was it up, or was it down?

Unlike last time, however, Klein was not there to stop one otherwise insignificant player from throwing a particular punch, and that was when the butterfly effect combined with Murphy's Law and really went to town. The punch landed this time, and the assailant was soon attacked by his target's rather large group of friends. That resulted in a makeshift gang war, where no one could die, yet that didn't come from lack of trying.

It was momentous. Everywhere in sight, players were being marked as thieves, but no actual killing could be done within the safe spot, so no 'reds' were to be seen... yet. A lot of seasoned gamers, however, knew that survival in any RPG meant collecting the best possible gear in as little time as they were able, so all along the marketplaces swords and knives were being taken without mercy. Armour was almost impossible to find, and players were challenging each other to duels on nothing but a whimsical fantasy, a desire to loot their inventories.

'Screw rules' was the mindset of at least one quarter of the populace for now, since they were so preoccupied with trying to survive. They simply didn't matter.

Among the chaos, as Kayaba Akihiko had predicted, several players attempted to escape, undeterred by the violence and theft. Some began to steal from the thieves, whilst others rescued victims and were rewarded with items as payment.

One such unsung hero was known as Agil. The tall, bald player with a gentle heart had already saved several younger players from falling into thieving traps, and was slowly but steadily building a collection of moderately expensive gear. Agil was a very smart man. He knew a hierarchy of sorts would be created, and hundreds of players would fight to escape, while thousands of others, fearful of dying, would sit back and not partake in clearing. He knew some were cowards, but didn't begrudge them that fact. He had already seen children as young as twelve, after all.

"Kids shouldn't have to worry about death," he grumbled to himself, punching a would-be thief in the stomach. He followed this up with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head, which sent the pretentious little shit sprawling to the ground. He lay there, dazed and in obvious pain.

"I had him covered, you know," the victim said stubbornly.

Agil scoffed as he took her in. She was young, maybe fifteen at most, with her hair shrouded by a pale brown cloak, although it appeared to be something close to fair-coloured. She was a lot shorter than he was – although, that could admittedly be said about many people – and wore an annoyed frown. The feature that struck him most, however, was the trio of painted whiskers she bore on each cheek. Appearances could certainly be deceiving, but she didn't look all that physically imposing.

"What's your name, girl?" he asked gently.

"Names are going to be things of great power around here," she replied mysteriously. "I won't give out mine without good reason."

"Okay, easy," Agil said, trying to appease her by holding his hands up. She returned his previous scoff, aiming it at the placating gesture.

"I'm looking for people to do business with," she told him bluntly. "You're... intimidating, so I'm being defensive. Don't blame me."

Agil raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then started to laugh. He couldn't believe how unusual this young player was. She certainly knew the best way to the handle the situation, and that was to be wary of everyone around you.

"Hey! Don't laugh!" she scolded.

Agil shook his head, still chuckling. "Ah, I'm sorry. But at least you know what you're doing. Most people here just give me their items and run after I help them. I try to say that they'll need everything they can get their hands on, but either they don't hear me, or think I'll rob the rest, given half a chance."

"Would you?"

"Of course not! I'm no thief. I'm helping people because it's who I am. As a matter of fact, I'm going to start my own business. If people want to get rid of their items they'll need a good middleman, and I'm used to serving the public, so why not me?" he asked rhetorically, alluding to his knowledgeable past as a barman.

"Hmm... interesting..." she muttered, taking him in. "I'm planning something similar, but with information, not items. I wrote most of the free guide book by myself."

That shocked him. "You were a beta player?"

She nodded. "Yes, but don't tell anyone."

"Why would I tell someone?" Agil asked, slightly confused.

She studied him for a moment, and then nodded, apparently satisfied with something. He had no idea what it was, until she directly said so.

"I was trying to gauge your reactions. A lot of people hate beta players now, since most of them have ran off. At least you're not pulling your sword out. That's a start."

"Of course not. If I really wanted to kill you that wouldn't work around here. The best I could do is _that_," he said, sticking a thumb over his shoulder and indicating the thief who still lay on the ground.

Despite herself, Argo laughed at that. She sobered up almost immediately, however. She both wanted – and needed – associates. Playing in the beta had been much the same, only the players back then had all trusted each other. Now, they were out for blood, and that blood was deadly real. Speaking of which...

"Players shouldn't be able to fight unarmed without an extra skill," Argo noted, frowning. "And that skill is only found on the second floor. I don't know how people are brawling in the streets."

Agil shrugged. "Maybe it was changed. Who knows? Or maybe Kayaba Akihito disabled the necessity just for today, to sow discord."

"Probably the latter," Argo muttered. After a terse silence, she looked up again. "Okay. I don't trust you yet, but I think we might be able to do business together. At the very least, add me as a friend. Then we can send each other messages."

Agil nodded. He brought up the interactive menu and selected the option. She accepted the request, and he saw that her name was 'Argo'.

"Agil... very well. Nice to meet you," she said, hesitantly proffering a hand. Agil accepted with a grin, the motion reminding him he had forgotten to trim his beard that day. Shaking his head at the random, unimportant thought, he nodded.

"Do you have a plan, _Argo?" _he asked, keen to show he would remember her name.

Argo nodded. "Try to start that business, if you can. I'm going to level up my combat skills and look for the boss' dungeon. It's probably moved location to make it more difficult, so it'll take a while. I'll be in touch."

"Hey, wait!" Agil exclaimed, as she turned to leave. She paused to listen. "Are you sure sticking together isn't a better idea? I can help protect you!"

Argo looked back, a wry grin making her eyes look mischievous. "I've played this game for longer than you, my friend. I daresay _I _would be the one protecting _you." _

And she left, leaving a slightly puzzled but relieved Agil in her wake.

* * *

The next morning, Kirito awoke feeling pleasantly refreshed. It may only have been mental, but it was important to eat, sleep and relax when required in SAO. The third was something many people forgot about quite often, unfortunately.

Hearing Asuna breathing softly from behind, Kirito twisted sideways and stared down at her. Even with frazzled bed-hair and wearing a simple nightgown, she looked beautiful. He lay down, looking directly at her, knowing he would fight to see her face every day for the rest of his life, if necessary. It was the best way for him to wake up. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, not disturbing her sleep, and rested his ear against her chest. The air around him seemed to melt away, replaced by the soft rhythm of her heartbeat. He shut his eyes and lay there peacefully for a while longer, just listening to the slow beats and feeling more relaxed than he ever had in his entire life.

"Kirito," she whispered, mouth next to his forehead. Her hot breath sent shivers down his spine.

He gently opened his eyes again, smiled when he saw her. He leaned up and kissed her gently. Suddenly, she took him in her arms and buried her own head in his chest.

"Too cosy to move," she muttered, smiling happily.

Kirito laughed. "I think we'll have to. In-game clock says it's nine in the morning. We'll need an early start and a late finish to get all the good quests on this floor."

"Some quests are there for everyone," Asuna said, half-heartedly trying to stay awake.

"Some are," Kirito nodded, "but most aren't. Most are one-time only, and we have the luxury of knowing that. So, let's go."

He sat up straight and started to playfully poke Asuna in the face. She swatted his hands away at first, but then relented and opened her eyes, knowing they couldn't stay and play forever.

She wished otherwise.

Together, the two of them got dressed – a simple matter of pushing a few buttons, of course – and groomed each other a little, Kirito laughing at Asuna's scruffy hair for the most part, before heading downstairs. They stayed in the same inn last night, along with Klein and his friends, all of whom had a single room apiece. Kirito warned them to stay alert, because this village wasn't a safe zone, although it would still be pretty quiet, they hoped.

On the ground floor, Klein and the rest of their group sat at the same table as before, this time eating bowls of what looked like porridge. From experience, Kirito and Asuna knew the food in low-level inns was pretty terrible, and grimaced in tandem. They chuckled at that dual reaction.

"Oh, ho! Someone's in a good mood," Klein said, upon seeing them. He had a knowing look in his eye, which caused the pair to blush together.

Nothing had happened. Nothing had ever happened, in fact. The couple had always been content to lie together, enjoying one another's warmth, but had left acts of love until they could be together for real. Since that hadn't happened before Kayaba's little trick, they never actually slept together. It would have been a first for both, but that could still happen. Just another motivation to clear the game as soon as possible.

"Alright!" Kirito said, raising his voice. They hushed instantly, a little taken aback.

"Too much," Asuna said, whispering in his ear.

Kirito shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Okay, we're forgetting about the people we left behind for the time being. They'll be impossible to locate now. The first floor is eighty square kilometres in size, so for ten thousand people that means everyone will be fighting over pockets of space, especially where quests are concerned. We're heading out to scope the area as a party, so whenever one of us completes a quest, we all gain the experience points."

"But not the combat levels?" Issin asked.

"That's what the experience goes toward, but it won't be as effective if you don't fight for yourself," Asuna said, adding a little to the speech. "We can take it in turns, or we can split up into smaller groups. _We_ prefer the first option, so then we're guaranteed equal rewards. No one wants to be left behind."

"Yeah, we all pitch in," Kirito said. "If you get left behind because of laziness, you can stay there."

Klein gulped. "Man, Kirito, that sounded a little foreboding. Don't you ever lighten up at all? I've only seen you crack a smile once or twice!"

Kirito shrugged. "What is there to be happy about? The situation? No chance. The scenery? Well, we know Aincrad, SAO, is the dominion of Kayaba Akihiko. It is full of wonder and dread, death and pain. But at least there's no blood. Its rivers still run clean. The beauty remains. That's something to be grateful for, I guess. I can be happy on that note."

Six faces stared at him in absolute shock. Asuna had to stifle a laugh.

"That was a joke," Kirito said nervously.

"Uh huh. Good one."

The party, which would soon become an as-yet unnamed guild, spent the rest of the afternoon hunting for quests. Kirito found that, like Klein, the rest of Fuurinkazan needed a fair amount of practice before they grasped the basic controls in combat. So, he spent time helping them become accustomed to their starting weapons, while Asuna and Klein scouted the nearby area for any potential quests that were rich in reward. They reported back after half an hour of searching, by which time every one of the five others could fight at a reasonable level for 'newbies'.

The guest they found was one Kirito could remember from Before, and he could mercifully recall the best way to complete it in as little time as possible. The NPC, an unnamed merchant of jewellery, asked for assistance in retaking his stolen ring from a local band of thieves. The bandits, ten strong, were each at around level three, although since they were NPCs they couldn't match the raw intelligence and coordination of a group of players. Even the most sophisticated game was still that: a _game_, with NPCs based on levels with average stats. They were remarkably similar, being part of one quest, and since it was for beginners, the party had no trouble cutting them down to size in a grassy field.

Kirito only had to dispatch two, one with a thrust through the chest, and the other with a backhand slice to the neck, severing the muscle and tissue. In real life, he would have nicked the Carotid Artery and would now be drenched in blood, but in-game the enemy vanished after shattering into a multitude of glittering pieces, scattered into the wind.

Asuna, meanwhile, was busy navigating between Harry One and Kunimittz, who were equally as relentless as the other in battle, but tended to leave their defences wide open. They weren't in any immediate danger, but she found herself correcting their defensive poises with unacceptable regularity.

"Look," Asuna demanded, and they turned to her. She had one enemy left to kill, the last of the bunch, and was decidedly toying with the man to show the two how it was done. He charged her, and she stepped back with a flourish, bring the thin edge of her rapier up to block the attack. The strength in her wrist flick knocked the attacker off-balance, allowing her to follow up with a simple lunge to the abdomen. The NPC convulsed, before shattering on the end of her sword.

Asuna replaced her weapon, whilst Harry One and Kunimittz stared, open-eyed.

_**CONGRATULATIONS **_popped up for all to see.

"It's that easy," she said. "You just need to practice."

"The two of you are fantastic!" Dynamm suddenly said, showing his great energy by practically dancing on the spot with glee. "With you at our side we'll be unstoppable!"

"Boy, being betas really did pay off, huh?" Dale asked, rather grumpily.

"Ah, knock it off!" Klein exclaimed happily, slapping him hard on the back. The plump man staggered, but was caught by Dynamm.

While Dale started to shout at Klein, who grinned all the while, Kirito accepted the combat points from the quest and allowed them to spread throughout the party. Thankfully, they weren't divided, or it would take ages for the lot of them advance as quickly as he hoped. The points took the form of a blue light, shimmering with the magnitude of the Sun temporarily. The light enveloped every party member simultaneously, and suddenly the eight all found themselves on level two.

"Now all that's left are the rewards," he said to Asuna, who nodded happily. The rest of Fuurinkazan was busy separating Gale from Klein. An outsider might think they would come to blows, but it was all in good nature. Probably.

"What _is_ the reward for this one?" Asuna asked.

Kirito thought for a moment. "I think it's the ability to enchant swords," he said, suddenly remembering. "I hope so. That would be good to get out of the way quickly. We'll need it."

"Last time I went for speed enchantments," Asuna murmured, so they wouldn't be overheard. "Do you think I should get the same ones?"

"Of course," Kirito said. "You were amazing! I could never keep up with you. I could never use more than a handful at a time because of the weapons I used, but I normally opted for extra damage or defensive fortification."

Asuna smiled at his praise. "Thanks, Kirito. Have you thought of any more names yet?"

Kirito looked at the ground, trying to remember. "One or two, yes. Lisbeth, Agil and Argo are still there, of course. Thinker is out because we need him with the ALF. A few others I want to bring in are Silica, the MBC and Godfree, if you want him."

"Godfree?" Asuna asked, surprised. "Why him?"

"The Knights of the Blood don't exist here. If he doesn't join another efficient guild he'd be good for us. He was a fantastic leader, and that axe of his is lethal," Kirito explained, remembering the commander of KoB's vanguard.

Asuna nodded. "Okay, I guess. And there are others I could mention from my time with the guild, but we should talk about this later. It won't matter anyway."

"Asuna... I've been thinking... Kayaba doesn't want to make this easy for us. In fact, he killed Sugō so our attention wouldn't waver. That tells me he's made it more difficult, or at least _different._ What if he's changed the dungeon locations or added other obstacles?"

Kirito had been worried about this all afternoon, and it felt good to voice his concerns. He needed to share them with the only other person who would understand, but he was doubly lucky that person was as intelligent as Asuna was. She would help him. Maybe there wouldn't be an awe-inspiring conclusion, but he could always rely on her, just as she could on him.

"Then we'll try harder," she stated firmly. "If you ever lack faith in yourself, believe in me, because I won't let you down."

Kirito hugged her. He had no words great enough to display his affection.

The scenery of the first floor was truly invigorating. As per usual, the day was perfect, with a shining artificial Sun overhead. Everywhere they travelled, hills were blossoming and life was plentiful, as well as gentle for the most part. The roads themselves were very quiet, with the majority of players still stuck near the start, and walking in the same direction. That second one meant they were never going to encounter another non-NPC, since they were heading away from the Town of Beginnings and no one had come as far just yet.

And, if Kirito's deductions were correct...

"The Secret Medicine of the Forest should be about a kilometre in that direction," he said, recognising the village of Horunka. They were taking a break from walking, each member save Kirito and Klein stretched out on the grass nearby, in the shade of a large oak tree. Instead of joining them, the two stood on top of a large mound of earth, which gave an unprecedented view of the valley nearby.

"Does it give a good reward?" Klein asked, yawning and placing his hands behind his head. "The guys might be getting a touch bored with all the walking, is all I'm saying."

"Ever heard of an Anneal Blade?"

"Oh?" Klein wondered, looking back. "Can't say that I have, but it sounds fancy."

"It can hold up to eight enchantments," Kirito told him. Their current weapons could now be enchanted as he predicted, but had a limit of one apiece until improved at a blacksmith's shop.

Klein spluttered and began to cough. _"Eight?! _That's amazing! But, eh, there's only one, right?"

"Yes," Kirito nodded, "but we can either have a contest to see who gets to keep it, or we can sell it and split the profits. It would fetch at least sixteen thousand Col."

"Sixteen _thousand? _Incredible. We'd have almost enough for a house. We'd be the richest party in the land!"

"Temporarily," Kirito corrected. "All RPGs have experience hogs and lucky loot drops. Someone will eventually strike big and dominate the in-game market, regardless of what happens. Skillers will have a massive advantage when they really get going."

"Skillers?"

"People who aim to max all, or certain skills, for profit. The higher level a skill is, the more use you'll have from it, for obvious reasons. High level fishing will let you catch very valuable fish, for example. High level smithing will let you make the best weapons and armour, both of which make you more formidable or earn you heaps of Col. It's all part of the game."

"And that's why you want us to divide up," Klein said, nodding in realisation.

"Exactly," Kirito said. "Five hundred Col to start with is fairly decent, but you won't live on that for a week. Sixteen thousand will run out too, but it'll be a good starting point in buying low-level equipment for different skills. If we do that we can have enough for a house, and then to live on continuously, after a couple of weeks. As boring as it might sound, we need a sustainable income."

"Don't worry, I know," Klein said.

"Hmm?" Kirito asked, surprised.

"Of course we do. This is real, Kirito-kun. We need to eat, and we aren't going to steal, I hope."

"No, we're not."

"Good... but that means we need money. And since weapons aren't permanently durable, we'll need to repair, replace and renew them whenever possible. Money is the key to any RPG, and that makes it doubly as important here."

Kirito was shocked at the depth of Klein's insight into the situation. He had completely forgotten his friend was something of a hardcore gamer; it meant he knew how to work the system, which would be a valuable asset. But more importantly, he was a great fighter, and that mattered more than anything. It would take time for him to come into his own, but with Kirito and Asuna helping them every step of the way, Fuurinkazan would truly be a formidable guild this time around, or whatever name they decided to pick. That hadn't been decided on yet.

"What time is it?" Klein asked.

Kirito checked. "One in the afternoon. We can keep at it for a few hours, then find something to eat after finishing the next quest. This one will be worth it. Come on."

He slapped Klein on the back, which caused the older man to laugh.

"Ah, praises be to me! He's learning! Maybe we'll make a true jokester out of you yet, Kiri-bō!"

"Don't call me that," Kirito muttered, thinking of Argo and the meaning it implied. "If anything, you're the baby, newbie."

He smirked at Klein's look of reproach and left to rouse the others. With some luck, the eight of them could raise their levels at least another two or three times before calling it quits for the day, and maybe, just _maybe_, Kirito would find the entrance to the boss' dungeon for future reference.

_What are the odds?_

* * *

:Author's Notes:

For those of you wondering, the quotations in italics before the chapter titles are random pieces of dialogue I've lifted from future chapters, just to spice things up a bit. I don't have those chapters written, of course, but I can always think of a line or two on the spot.

Yes, there will be some scenes of fluff in this story. Romance is a massive part of SAO and I happen to love it, so it's happening. There won't be anything gratuitous, mind. This will still be violent, with more to come as the group grows stronger and starts clearing dungeons. With regards to romance, the earlier segment regarding Asuna's heartbeat is a good example of how I might approach the area at times.

A pretty penny to the clever reader who can guess the guild name I've selected. It may or may not be one which already exists.


End file.
